Forged in Fire
by Rassilon001
Summary: After the fall of the Thunderan Empire, three survivors begin their own journey to find and reunite with the Princes of Thundera. A blacksmith driven by revenge, an archer who refuses to kill, and an old soldier blinded by grief. This is the story of Bengali, Pumyra, and Lynx-O. Now an AU.


**Disclaimer:  
><strong>I do not own the epic series that is Thundercats (2011). It belongs to Warner Bros, who are indefinitely more wealthy than I shall ever be, and a darn sight smarter as well. And the three characters therein, while re-designed and re-imagined by me, belong to the old cartoon, and thus are property of the same.

**Summary:  
><strong>After the fall of the Thundercat Empire, three survivors begin their own journey to find and reunite with the Princes of Thundera. This is the story of Bengali, Pumyra, and Lynx-O. Rated PG for some Animal violence. Takes place sometime after the opening scenes of 'Ramlak Rising'

* * *

><p>"<em>Let your mind start a journey thru a strange<br>__new world. Leave all thoughts of the world  
>you knew before. Let your soul take you<br>where you long to be... close your eyes let  
>your spirit start to soar, and you'll live as<br>you've never lived before_."

- **Erich Fromm**.

* * *

><p><strong>Blackpine Forests, near Thundera<br>****Late Afternoon/Early Evening**

On Third Earth, one of the most harmless indigenous species to be found in the wilderness was the Cabbit. Long-eared and furry, as well as adorably cute, they were often made into stuffed replicas for children of most Animal species to give to their children. Right now, however, one was being stalked by a predator, and remained blissfully unaware of it.

The predator in question had been tailing this particular Cabbit for at least an hour now, keeping watch. Observing which paths it walked and when, how it reacted with a twitch of its long ears when the wind shifted. And finally, when it came to a stop in the middle of a clearing, unprotected by low-hanging branches or longer grasses. The predator's slit-like eye narrowing as the bowstring was pulled taut, then released. A soft twang filled her ear as the arrow sped towards its target. She had not missed.

She rarely did.

The Cabbit gave a most undignified yelp and leapt nearly twice its own height into the air as the arrow just missed the tip of its left ear, the feathers of the fletching brushing against its fur as it struck the tree immediately behind the Cabbit. It took off like a shot, kicking up a cloud of dust as it sped off into the underbrush and out of sight of the predatory huntress, who smirked.

Leaping down from the high tree branch with the grace of an acrobat, the predator stepped out of the shadow of the leaves towards her catch, letting the light of the full moons fall upon her. She stood just a little short of five and a half feet tall, covered in tawny fur from head down to her delicate feet, lighter around her face and hands. Her features were a soft, classical sort of beauty, high cheekbones and delicate lips. Her eyes were a shade of purple so bright they shined like a pair of amethyst gemstones. The longer hair atop of her head was a unremarkable brown, but split by a stripe of ivory down the middle, and pulled into a short ponytail.

She was wearing a brown halter top with crimson trim, and a brown wraparound skirt which hugged her dainty hips. A golden collar rested at her throat, with a ruby gemstone set in the center, and a quiver full of arrows was slung over her shoulder. She added her bow to this as she stepped into the clearing.

Her name was Pumyra of Thundera, and she was a Thundercat.

Reclaiming her arrow, she knelt down by the leaves that Cabbit had been about to eat, tilting them back to study the underside and sure enough, finding the right flow of red veins underneath the dark blue coloration. Definitely tana leaves, and exactly the sort she was looking for. With little further ado she began to strip the plants, making sure to always leave a few leaves behind on each stem as she stuffed them into the leather pouch at her side. While she had no qualms about harvesting from plant-life, she respected nature enough to always ensure she left behind enough for it to replenish in her absence. She was a predator but not a parasite.

A branch snapped, and her head came up just as abruptly, arrow already knocked in her bow, though she relaxed as the newcomer entered the clearing.

Standing almost half a head taller than Pumyra, Bengali stood out amongst the greenery almost as much as the moon did in the night sky. His coloration was pale furred and white-haired, marred by sharp black stripes that ran up and down along his frame. Whereas she was slender, he was muscular, his rippling arms especially boasting a great power, as well as his background as a smith. His eyes were a cool green, like forest leaves. Overall he was a cut of the exotic amongst the yellows and browns and reds of most Thunderians, though out here he looked far more at home.

He wore dark blue trousers and a similarly-colored tunic. Hanging from his thick belt was a small pouch on a leather cord, which brushed against his leg as he walked. Like he was doing now, making his way across the clearing towards her.

"Hello Bengali," she greeted politely, returning her arrow to her quiver and turning back afterwards to her task. Namely, brushing some dirt off of the tana leaves and tidying it up a bit before stuffing the last of them into the leather pouch at her side. "Come to check up on me?"

"Your landlady requested it," he replied evenly. "She's worried you spend too much time out in the woods."

"I told her I'd only be out here a day or two," Pumyra said, bristling. Honestly, sometimes her the woman treated her little better a mother treated her cub.

Evidently, however, Bengali wasn't on her side today. "That was three days ago."

"Oh."

* * *

><p>Neither of them had mounts to ride back, Pumyra liked to move quietly and invisibly in the forest when she came to keep her skills sharp, and Bengali's family couldn't afford any beyond the two they kept for their delivery wagon. No doubt his father was using it at the time. So it was slow going back to the high walls of Thundera. The sun was just starting to rise on the horizon when the last of the heavy pine trees came to an end.<p>

"... all I'm saying is, if I'm out of tana leaves and cryana berries, then woe to the next Cat who comes to me with a case of claw rot," she explained.

"Thunderians haven't experienced a case of claw rot in at least six generations," Bengali replied evenly.

She huffed. "I just think it's always better to be prepared. Besides I still need to come out here to practice my archery."

"You can practice just as well on the target I made for you," he replied, coming to a stop atop of a high rise. Thundera's walls would be within sight soon.

"It's better if I have a movi-..." she trailed off, as the two of them came to an abrupt halt. From their new vantage viewpoint, they could see their home. And more importantly, they could see the trails of black smoke rising up from the high walls towards the lightning morning sky.

"By Thundera!"

Bengali and Pumyra took off at a run, speeding across the plain towards the gates. They only made it about halfway, towards one of the lookout towers, when they were forced to stop, out of breath. Even so, much closer, they could see the devastation. The longtime home of the Thundercats was devastated, huge chunks of the walls had been blown outwards, and the watch tower they'd reached had been toppled clean over. Ancient carvings in the stone walls had been utterly devastated, leaving only the image of Ancient Spirits of Evil still intact along the eastern most part of the wall. The smoke was coming from fires that were already starting to grow cold, but at this distance it didn't look like there was much left to burn anyway.

"How could this have happened?" asked Pumyra, horrified and feeling ill. She thought, somewhat absurdly, she could use some of her own herbal remedies now to settle her upset stomach. But there was no guarantee her home was even intact. And her guardian...

Bengali frowned as he kneeled down by some broken debris, picking up a sword that lay on the ground, snapped in two. The design definitely wasn't his, or any other blacksmith's in Thundera. No, the quality was too poor, and the shape unmistakable. This was crafted by...

"Lizards..." he growled.

"Another Lizard attack? But... but how could they have done all this?" asked Pumyra. "It looks like the whole city fell in a single day, that's impossible! The entire Lizard army... _three times_ that could not do this sort of damage to all of Thundera!"

"Evidently it did," Bengali replied, tossing the weapon aside with disgust.

It impacted against an overturned wall, and to their surprise, a low groan came from the debris. Pumyra all but vaulted over an overturned wooden beam to the other side, careful not to disturb the stone wall to check on who had made the noise.

"It's a soldier! He's badly hurt, give me a hand here!"

Bengali joined her seconds later, and between the two of them, they managed to draw up the heavy stone covering and pull out the unconscious soldier who had been pinned beneath it. It was an older man, with darkly tanned fur and long sideburns. His beard and hair was streaked with white, like Pumyra's, but it seemed this was the result of age more than a natural coloration. He was wearing the dull red uniform of a Thunderan Army scout, rather than a foot soldier. Straps of leather were wrapped around his wrists, ankles, and forehead. A red gem rested in the center of his leather tunic. He didn't seem to have any external injuries, but internal ones might still be present.

"... so many..." he gasped out weakly. His breath was shallow, it was seemingly taking all of his strength just to draw his next.

Pumyra grasped his wrist, checking his pulse, then leaned in to rest her head against his chest. His pulse was thready and his heartbeat was erratic.

"Pick him up and help me get him to my home," instructed Pumyra, trusting Bengali's greater strength to the task of carrying the man. The white tiger did so without complaint, following her. They passed by the broken bridge and the ruined gates and into the city proper. Fortunately the merchant district and the trade center hadn't suffered as badly in the attack. Pumyra's home wasn't far from where Bengali's shop was, so he knew the way. They both looked relatively intact as they passed through a city strewn with destruction and violence, broken weapons and broken bodies. Some Cat, some Lizard. It was difficult to tell which side had done more damage to the other.

Pumyra slipped inside of her home, the door hanging on the hinge, and swept a plant and some flowers off of the dining table in the middle of the room, letting them clatter on the floor.

"Set him down on the table," she instructed, shrugging quiver from her shoulders and gathering some jars from the countertops, mixing them into a thick paste.

Bengali did as instructed, laying the older man out on the table as gently as he could, and still earning a fair share of groans from the broken soldier. "I must find my family. Take care of him, I will be back shortly."

"Hurry," she whispered, already pressing a washcloth to the older man's wounds. He hissed sharply, but she had no time to be delicate.

* * *

><p>Bengali hurried to his store nearby. His family had been in the smithing business for generations, and so it doubled as their home. His father and his father's father had been making armor and weapons for the Thunderan army for as long as Bengali could remember, and almost before he'd been old enough to crawl he'd been given a hammer and shown how to use it.<p>

"Father? Mother? Grandfather, answer me!"

His voice echoed through the home as he moved from room to room, all but tearing the doors off their hinges. Most of them were abandoned, he held out some vain hope some of his family had escaped into the city, but that same hope was laced with another undercurrent of fear. If they'd been in the city, they might've been killed or capture already. Still, he saw no bodies as he leapt down the stairs to the first floor, skipping his own room.

"Father? Uncle? Cousins?"

One last hope, he dashed out the back, through the small garden and towards the smithy where the family did most of their work. It had suffered far greater damage from the attack, several walls had collapsed inwards as if hit by a boulder. He climbed up over one of the broken walls to get a better view, eyes wide as he saw the blackened spots of fires long burned out, and there, on the edge...

_No..._

He saw the legs of both of his parents under a pile of smoking debris, and sped towards them. Without pausing he grabbed the heavy stones and hurled them aside as they were light as plaster, ignoring the strain their great weight held. But what lay underneath there was no chance of saving anymore.

He sunk to his knees amidst the ashes, his legs having turned to jelly, and bowed his head as he felt his eyes moisten.

* * *

><p>It was a fair while later that Bengali trudged wearily into Pumyra's home, sitting down on a nearby chair. The haunted look on his face told her everything she needed to know, but she didn't dwell on it. She couldn't. She kept focused on her guest, making sure he was comfortable, making sure his wounds were healing. A way of keeping busy.<p>

She kept working until she all but passed out on the table, and Bengali gently picked her up and carried her to her chambers to rest, returning to his seat afterwards. The night passed quietly, and neither felt rested.

Nightmares flitted about amongst their dreams like dark ravens in the sky.

* * *

><p>"... lizards... so many... NO!"<p>

The older man all but launched himself up out of his lying position, stopped only when a gentle arm caught him across his midsection.

"Whoa, relax there," said Pumyra, her voice soothing and calm. "It's okay, you're safe."

"Who is that? Where am I?" he demanded, turning in her direction but not looking directly at her. Within seconds, she saw why. His eyes had a glazed, milky film covering them. He was blind.

"I'm Pumyra. And that's Bengali," she added when the latter made a noise by shifting position. "You're in my home. We found you outside the city half-dead. What happened to you?"

The soldier leaned back, not quite laying back down as he relaxed marginally. "I am Lynx-O," he declared. "Third Battalion Scout. I'd just come on duty when-..."

"Lynx-O? The former general?" asked Bengali, puzzled.

"Hush," instructed Pumyra. "Go on, sir. What happened?"

"It was during my watch that we first caught wind of the lizard armies approach. I ordered the alarm sounded, and the King commanded us to hold the line. For a while, everything seemed as it would be during a normal lizard raid. They would attack, cause a little damage, and retreat when faced with the superior prowess of the Thunderan Army. I could hear them running, it was a full retreat, but then..."

He trailed off, looking decidedly pale underneath his fur, and Pumyra felt herself grow cold at heart as well. Something terrible had happened that day, and she was almost grateful she had not been there to witness it. But she had to know. They both did.

"And then?" she prompted gently.

Lynx-O shivered. "Like something out of nightmare," he explained. "Others would describe it better, but for me, it was as if the skies had been set ablaze. I felt the dull pounding of thunder in the ground, and heard from those around me cries of metal giants and fire sticks that killed Cats by the hundreds. The tower was struck, and something hit me..." he glanced at his side, touching it gingerly.

"You were suffering from some internal bleeding," Pumyra explained. "I've eased the symptoms a bit but you'll need to rest."

"I cannot rest, the army..." he tried to climb off the table, but Bengali was quick to catch him as he stumbled.

"Easy there," the white tiger said. "You running about isn't going to help anyone now. It's finished."

"Finished?"

Pumyra nodded sadly. Then, belatedly realizing he couldn't see the gesture, spoke aloud, her voice thick with sorrow as she proclaimed, "Thundera has fallen."

"No..." breathed the soldier, weariness overtaking him. He slumped back atop of the table, barely able to keep his head up. "Impossible..."

"Seems like it, but somehow the Lizards pulled it off," grumbled Bengali darkly.

The scout paused to consider that. "There was a word spoken during the battle. I didn't believe it at the time, but nothing else can possibly explain all that has come to pass."

Pumyra leaned in. "What was it?"

"Technology," he breathed.

Bengali snorted. "Technology is a fairytale."

"I can't say for certain, I did not see as others do... but if it was not technology, it was something equally horrible that befell Thundera that terrible day."

"I guess it doesn't really matter, does it? It seems like everyone but us is gone."

"Everyone? What of the royal family?" asked the old soldier.

Bengali grimaced. "I saw the palace... it's a mess. We've..."

Lynx-O's ear twitched, and he sniffed the air, his sightless eyes growing wide. "Lizard!"

Bengali vaulted himself out of his chair and to the doorway, spotting the tell-tale flash of green scales in an instant. Snarling, he hurled himself down the street at the lizard scout, who dropped his bag of purloined valuables and turned tail, running as quick as he could away from the enraged white tiger. Pumyra and Lynx-O were fast on his tracks as the lizard gave them the slip down a dark alleyway.

Sensing that cornering him would be tricky, Pumyra lightly leapt up onto an overhang and then again onto the roof of the building, using her higher vantage point to spot the scout. She slipped the bow from her back, tugging an arrow from her quiver and taking careful aim. Pumyra's slit-like eye narrowing as the bowstring was pulled taut, then released. A soft twang filled her ear as the arrow sped towards its target. She had not missed.

They found the lizard thrashing against a wall, the arrow having missed his scales completely, burying itself instead in the strap of his leather tunic and pinning him to the wall. He gave a weak moan as the three of them cornered him, hissing in what he hoped was a pitiful manner. Unfortunately, he and his kind had just wiped out their families, friends, and civilization. Even Pumyra wasn't in the most merciful of moods as she knocked another arrow, the deadly tip pointed at the lizard's eye.

"I suggest you start talking," growled Bengali, clenching his fists.

"I have nothing to ssay to the likess of you wretched Catss!" hissed their prisoner, suddenly defiant. "I'd ssooner...!"

"Fourteen," interrupted Pumyra.

This caught the scout off guard. "What?"

"That's how many weak points the Lizard body has on it," she stated, pointing her arrow down between the reptile's shoulder and stomach, under his arm. "The armor is thickest here to protect it, but do you really want to bet an arrow won't break through at this range? I bet that'll hurt. A lot."

All the fight drained out of the lizard as he slumped against the wall. "Okay, okay, I'll talk."

Lynx-O stretched out a hand, pressing it against the lizard's chest, right over his heart. The yellow eyes of the reptile focussed on Bengali, however, as he began his questioning.

"Why were you in Thundera?"

"Our master commanded it. We were to remain here in case there were any survivors who might try to join up with the royal family."

"And if you found any?" he asked, tightening his grip around his hammer's handle.

The Lizard smirked. Answer enough.

"And the royal family? What of King Claudus? Prince Tygra?" asked Bengali.

"Prince Lion-O?" added Pumyra.

"Claudus is dead. The others esscaped. The bulk of the army iss in purssuit of them as we sspeak," replied the lizard.

"Where?"

"Don't know, not my orderss."

Lynx-O nodded. "He is telling the truth. His heartbeat remains steady."

Grumbling darkly, wanting nothing more than to break the stupid Lizard's neck, but knowing full well Pumyra would never approve, Bengali grabbed the arrow and yanked it out of the wall, freeing him. "Get out of my sight," he growled. Terrified, the poor reptile could not run fast enough to get away from them.

"And best not tell anyone you saw us, else you'll also have to explain why you lived!" Lynx-O called out after him.

* * *

><p>Minor trouble dealt with and new information to ponder, the three of them returned to Pumyra's home to confer, as well as for her to ensure the soldier hadn't re-opened any of his wounds in his exertions.<p>

"My course of action is clear," replied Lynx-O, as he allowed Pumyra to bandage his sides. "I am pledged to serve the royal family unto death. I must now find them in order to renew that service."

Bengali shot him an incredulous look.

"You can't be serious. Look, old man... they could be anywhere right now, how on Third Earth are you even going to find them?"

"What alternative do you suggest, _boy_?" snarled the older man, giving as good as he got.

Slipping between the two before they could come to blows, Pumyra pushed them apart gently. "Enough you two."

Then she turned to face Bengali. "I have to agree with General Lynx-O," she said. "There's nothing left for us here... and no way we can rebuild, even if all three of us stayed. Our best hope is to find the royal family. They'll know what to do."

Bengali grimaced, running a hand through white locks of hair streaked with black strikes. "Oh alright... I suppose someone has to come along and keep you two out of trouble. But if we're going we need to do this right. I'll see if I can find some mounts, no sense walking all the way."

"I'll gather what I need."

"Let me assist you," intoned Lynx-O. "It's the least I can do to repay you for saving my life."

She directed him to sort through her herbs, knowing he could identify them readily enough by scent as much as anything else, and grabbed up some spare clothes.

Bengali leaned over to whisper into her ear. "You really think this is a good idea?"

"I do. Thundercats need to stand together, so we need to find them. Besides, who knows? They might need someone who knows medicine."

"You just want a chance to see Prince Lion-O again. I'm sure he'll be grateful to know other Cats survived."

She blushed underneath her fur, turning her head away, and began to pack her bags. Bengali smirked, amused by her childhood crush on the younger prince. She'd only ever met him once, when he'd been travelling past her home and helped her when she'd dropped her oranges, but ever since she'd been hopelessly smitten with the young Cat. Bengali rolled his eyes but headed back to his home to get his own things. There was one item in particular he could not abandon.

* * *

><p>It took less than two hours to salvage what they could and prepare to leave.<p>

Bengali had indeed found some mounts, and even a wagon that could be fixed with little difficulty. This they piled into the majority of their things.

Pumyra took the opportunity to clear out her home of anything usable, and packed up as many food supplies as she could that weren't perishable. Lynx-O assisted, though she kept him to light duties, not wanting to exasperate his internal injuries any more than they already had been. She had him tether and secure the mounts to the wagon and ensure they were ready to go when the time came.

The pale Tiger returned a short while later, a pristine white travelling cloak thrown over his shoulders, clasped at his throat with a red gemstone like the ones on Lynx-O's tunic and Pumyra's collar.

"Is that everything?" he asked.

"Most of my stuff was ransacked and stolen," she replied, tucking the pouch into place on the wagon. "I was lucky to have these, but we may be able to find more on the way. What about you?"

Bengali tapped the heavy, rectangular hammer hanging at his side. "This is all I have ever needed," he said.

She raised an eyebrow at his weapon. "Your smith's hammer?"

"This isn't just any old hammer," he explained defensively, picking it up and holding it to the light. "This is a replica of the _original_ hammer that forged the Sword of Omens. The weapon our ancestors used to defeat the evil Mumm-Ra, and bring law and order to a world of warring Animals."

Pumyra didn't look terribly impressed by his rhetoric, but shrugged, it was his business. She finished loading up the cart and hopped into her seat.

"We ready to go?" she asked.

Her two companions nodded, and Pumyra gave a snap of the reins.

They left behind their home, their old lives. Their friends and family and comrades-in-arms were all gone. And ahead of them was a wide world that admittedly, they knew nothing about. They were setting out on a journey that could well be the end of them.

They did not look back as the passed the ruined Gates of Thundera.

* * *

><p>Unfortunately, a factor in that might've been the rather large welcoming committee that ambushed them less than a mile from Thundera's wall. They'd been driving their wagon along peacefully, still discussing exactly which route to take. Lynx-O suggested they follow the trail of the Lizard Army, reasoning if they'd left troops behind to watch for the royal family in the ruins of Thundera, then the bulk was likely still following them to their destination. Follow the Lizards, follow the family. Pumyra, less inclined to put them so directly in danger by following the heels of such a well-armed force of soldiers, suggested instead they find a free town that was supposedly to the northeast of Thundera's borders, gather more information there from its inhabitants. Lynx-O found the suggestion acceptable, but Bengali saw no benefit to bargaining with barbarians and other Animals they might find there. It could be dangerous, he reasoned.<p>

Unfortunately, danger had found them.

Passing a rock outcropping, the mounts reared back as the wind shifted, and Lynx-O twitched in his seat at the unmistakably fresh scent of reptilian forces in the area. He shouted out a warning, but by then, nearly two dozen of them had surrounded the wagon. Leading them was the very same scout they'd set free the other day, recognizable by his lack of helmet and damaged tunic.

"I told you!" hissed the scout. "Three Catss sstill alive! Sslythe will have our headss if we don't finish them off!"

"Or maybe he'll offer uss a reward," said another, a burly Lizard with muscular arms and a horned helmet.

Bengali smirked. "Bad move, scales," he said as he leapt down from the wagon and hefted up his enormous hammer, looping the strap around his wrist to ensure it wouldn't be knocked from his hand. He'd been aching for some payback since he'd first heard of the Lizard's attack on the city.

Lynx-O joined him seconds later. "For the Pride!" he roared, throwing himself into the fight after the younger Cat, cracking heads with well-placed kicks and punches, even as Bengali tore through their ranks with strikes of his hammer.

Wincing at the thought of more violence but seeing no reasonable way out of this now, Pumyra tugged an arrow from her quiver and let it fly, backing up her friends.

But the Lizards did not seem content to go down easily. Nor were they as helpless as Bengali had expected. It was a widely known fact amongst all Thunderans that virtually all of the other Animals were still in the stone ages of technology, barely able to forge iron, or construct something as simple as a catapult. However, that seems to have changed radically. Now, each of the Lizards in the patrol was wearing sophisticated, well-forged armor that even Bengali had to admit was of superior craftsmanship. To also, they were armed with long metal rods that bore a vague resemblance to crossbows. Only instead of firing wooden or steel bolts, they fired green energy. Bolts of it split the air, narrowly missing the three Thunderians as they scattered.

"I guess you were right about that technology, old man," grumbled Bengali, sliding his hammer down so he could grip the strap in his hand. He gave the mighty weapon a twirl and swung it expertly in a figure-eight pattern, smashing Lizard heads and sending them flying through the air as if they'd been struck by thunderbolts.

Pumyra's arrows zipped through the air, also doing damage, though most of a superficial kind. She shot the weapons out of Lizard's hands, or failing that aimed for legs and tails, never anywhere vital. One slipped past her guard into striking distance, but she lashed out with a well-toned leg and kicked him full in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. This she followed up with an elbow to the top of the head that send him crashing to the ground, unconscious.

Four Lizards converged on Lynx-O, believing the blind general to be defenseless. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

Lynx-O certainly hadn't been born blind. At times, he could even remember things he'd use to see. The blue skies, the green grasses, the smiles of his niece and nephew. But he'd lost his sight in an accident following the Lizard Wars he preferred not to think about. And this, while initially crippling him as a soldier, had later made him into an excellent scout and a sentry because it had forced him to use his other senses. He had sharpened them as he would sharpen a blade, to razor-keen levels.

Now, here in this battle, he could hear the Lizard's every movement, the scrap of their claws against the rocky ground, the tightening and shifting of their muscles beneath scaled skin. He could even hear each individual heartbeat, telling him exactly where his opponents were.

He knew no fear. They were his.

The first Lizard charged forward, confident its prey was just a weak, blind old man. He didn't even fire his fancy technological blaster, just swung down with the attached blade. Lynx-O side-stepped as if they'd choreographed the movement, and then lashed out with his open paw, striking the Lizard's shoulder, causing him to drop his weapon as he gave a strangled cry of pain. A few more open paw strikes, and the Lizard was left on the ground, twitching helplessly as his pressure points closed up, unable to move.

Lynx-O inclined his head, his eyes still closed, and wondered which Lizard was going to come next, if any. Their heartbeats had all sped up. They were afraid now.

Between the three of them, they soon sent the more numerous reptiles fleeing. Bengali finished off his last Lizard with such a mighty blow from his hammer he nearly sent him into orbit, then dusted off his cloak and turned to check on the others. Lynx-O and Pumyra didn't even seem hardly winded by their encounter, and the Lizards were fully out of commission. Their journey could continue in relative peace.

* * *

><p>They travelled northwest, following the Lizard Army's trail. It wasn't hard, they didn't need an expert tracker to follow the ungodly devastation the vast number of footprints had left, nor the signs of things bigger and heavier that trailed them. Every so often they found signs of Cat presence as well, though it was usually old, it was an indication they were going in the right way. Through forests, over mountains, across rivers and streams and into parts of Third Earth no Cat had ever ventured before. Sometimes beautiful, sometimes dangerous.<p>

The wagon needed constant repair, but having along a smith helped to ease that trouble. And Pumyra was an excellent cook, even if all they had to work with was some iron rations that Lynx-O had brought along, as well as any edible plant-life they could scavenge for. The female feline had refused to hunt any indigenous life for their sake.

Still, they made relatively good time as they travelled, and each border town they found, each wanderer they encounter, gave them a piece of the bigger puzzle that led them closer to finding the royal family and, apparently, some other survivors of Thundera.

At one point, a few weeks later, they found themselves on a high plateau when the three moons were high in the sky. After a long day, they wanted only a moment to rest and eat some of their rations around a cooking fire.

Bengali, however, was still in a foul mood, and it hadn't improved during their time travelling. If anything, it was starting to grow worse. He finished his meal, gulping it down without tasting, and then sat on a log with his back to his two companions, glaring out at the landscape as if blaming it for their current troubles.

Pumyra was about to go to his side, but the third Cat shook his head in a forlorn fashion.

"Leave him be," advised Lynx-O. "Grief is best dealt with in private."

"This isn't grief!" snarled Bengali. "This is _anger_. My father... my mother... three generations of Tigers were wiped out by those filthy scaled barbarians. I intend to make sure each and every last one gets exactly what they deserve," he snarled.

Pumyra gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "Fighting won't bring your family back, Bengali."

"It'll make me feel better," he said, shrugging her hand off.

"Vengeance will not quench the fire in your heart," intoned Lynx-O. "It's a flame that burns out of control. It did nothing to help my family either."

"We haven't head a lot about your family," remarked Pumyra. "Will you tell us?"

He nodded, hoping his story would impress upon the younger Cats. "My Clan has served in the Thunderan army for many generations. I did, my older brother did, and his son and daughter did. My niece and nephew. We were assigned to the same unit during one of the battles with the Lizards. But unfortunately, in the chaos we were separated... and I could not save them. I was hell bent on crushing every single Lizard I could get my claws on."

"Good, they deserve as much, if not worse," said Bengali, leaning back on his log.

Pumyra stiffened, but kept any remarks to herself.

"But that same arrogance..." he trailed off, glancing at Bengali, then continued "cost me my sight when I charged recklessly into a battle I could have just as easily avoided. After that, King Claudus replaced me, and it is only through my years of loyal of service I was able to retain a position as scout."

"But why didn't you retire?" asked Bengali. "I mean, your exploits are famous and... and you were injured..."

The scout shook his head, suddenly looking much older as he sighed wearily. "My duty is all I have left... without it, I may as well lay down and die as well."

An ominous silence greeted that, even as the three moons shed illumination over their campsite. It was a remarkably clear night. Suddenly, the wind seemed to pick up, and there was a flash on the distant horizon. A brilliant crimson glow in the sky.

"There!" pointed Bengali. "Look!"

"I see it!" cried Pumyra.

Lynx-O could not see it, of course, but he could feel the magic just as clearly in his bones, could hear the distant echo of a mighty roar.

It was the symbol of the Thundercats blazing in the night sky, a beacon calling the Cats to the side of their Crowned King.

"We have to hurry," said Pumyra, leaping to her feet in an instant.

Bengali was at her side a moment later, a steadying paw on her shoulder. "They'll be long gone before we get there. It's too far away."

"But it's a sign," said Lynx-O solemnly. "We're going the right way. We need to catch up as quickly as possible. Our king needs us."

The three Thundercats sped down the rocky hillside in their rickety wagon, their journey continuing as it neared its end.

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Notes:<br>**If slimy Fruug's exist on Third Earth, no reason a silly Cabbit couldn't either. Third Earth seems to have some very weird native species.

I stand by my re-designs of the trio for the 2011-verse, though I've no doubt if/when we see them in future episodes, they're liable to be very different.

As for Bengali's hammer, yes it's physically modeled after Mjolnir from Marvel Comics but honestly, short of giving it magic or tech (both reasons don't fit very well in the 2011 continuity) it's the best way I could come up with to make it an interesting and dynamic weapon.


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